Insight on Double Promotion

[ItalianMuayThai]

IMO, Double promotion should not be done, i believe someone should go threw all ranks, earn every last belt, every last stripe. I think it adds to the overall expierience. Knowing that you earned every last belt. I just dont see how they can do that, its like giving them a free belt. Im looking for what others think

[Sam]

depends on how traditional the style is - if the belt is only a representation of skill then theres no problem iwth it.... if it als represents time served tehn there's obviously a problem

[Menjo]

IMO, Double promotion should not be done, i believe someone should go threw all ranks, earn every last belt, every last stripe. I think it adds to the overall expierience. Knowing that you earned every last belt. I just dont see how they can do that, its like giving them a free belt. Im looking for what others think

I agree for the most part, I was once double promoted and I was releived and frustrated at the same time. However I of course didn't say anything and gratiously took the belt. I think anywhere in the senior belt levels double promotion shouldn't be even thought of, while say if a student is a white belt or a yellow belt and their double promoted then fine if their not really MA material then let them find out what it is really like, but that brings up another topic of students so never mind. I actually dont even think their should be belts, and maybe the way the schools used to have it along time ago, where you have a white belt and as you train on the colour of your belt gradualy darkens sounds like an exellent way to me.

Also double grading tends to get people in the incorrect thought pattern of traditional hard humble training. And like I always do i mostly blame the mcdojos in away..and yes it seems alot of MA today blame their woes on the mcdojos for everything, and ill be one of those MA for this post. I think double grading was probably a mcdojo thing at first and rare in the other schools, however as the other schools started running out of members grading people easier is ovoiusly a way to keep more members in, and double grading can be accoticiated with that...so no I think people should enjoy moving up the ranks the slow and sometimes discouraging way....

[karatekid1975]

I wasn't going to reply to this thread, but here goes. I have an article here on KF about starting over (if you have done MA's before). But if you are new to MA's all together, I don't believe in double promotion. Even if you are REALLY good.

I was the type to pick up stuff quick when I was in TSD. I new stuff past my rank. But I had to wait like everyone else.

When I started TKD, I was told that I can advance faster than usual to my current (TSD) rank (which was 5th gup). But by the time I got to 8th gup (maybe 7th ... somewhere around there LOL) in TKD, I wanted to slow down. TKD was so much different as far as some techniques, the forms, and the sparring was totally different. I chose to slow down to learn this stuff right, instead of just learning the "motions" and going for the next rank.

Just my humble opinion

[parkerlineage]

I agree that double promotion should not be done - with very few exceptions.

For example, the only double promotion I know of at my dojo - just recently, as a matter of fact, a little girl (8 years old) wanted to join. Her brother (10 years old) had been in for a few months, and was 8th kyu. This little girl loved karate so much, she had watched her brother do everything, and knew all the kata and techniques before I even got to teach her. So, I refined her techniques, let my head instructor check her out, and she started out as an 8th kyu - essentially skipping 9th kyu (white).

I really don't think there's anything horribly wrong with that, but anything higher than skipping 9th kyu should be a no-no.

In my humble opinion.

Peace;

Parkerlineage

[isshinryu5toforever]

Double promotions are an interesting subject. Here's a situation. What if there was a student who had been a shodan about a year, and knew all of the weapons and empty hand katas necessary for his sandan. Then his instructor moves. For 7 years, he keeps on practicing keeps on doing his weapons katas and keeps doing his empty hand katas. His forms improve, and his martial arts ability improves with it. Then he is finally able to get back with his instructor. I'm in this situation, and in the opinion of my instructor he believes I deserve to test for a double grading. Rank doesn't really matter to me, so when I test, I test. It doesn't matter for what. I am more interested in teaching, and I'd be able to promote my own black belts. That's the reason why I am happy to try for a double promotion.

[younwhagrl]

I'm really undecided about double promotion..u know? our system does double promotion..i've seen people have it happen to them, and they weren't even really that good it mostly happens to white belts in our organizations..but yes i agree you should go through every belt, and every stripe just like everyone else! but then again in the same breath...if the person doing the testing believes you have what it takes to be double promoted, and your that good..then they do it..it's not fair but..they do it! I've even heard about people getting double promoted from 2nd degree blue belt up to 2nd degree red belt..which is really rare but it happens. Double promotion is a terrible thing to happen to anyone..added stress, that no one needs in learning new stuff! I've seen people quite due to double promotion...and most of them get big headed and think they are better than everyone, because they think they are that "good.."

[Manabimasho1]

The double promotion is always an issue of jelously, right and wrong, and overall drama. If a Master is a 10th degree in a style and he is dying and has no actual heir to the style and he has only two 6th degrees under him I see no reason why that Grandmaster could not just promote the 6th degrees to imidiate 10th.

On the other hand if your style is not dying out, and you're not in the middle of lossing your main master with noone higher to teach you then It should be done a certain way. Most schools that have double or triple promoted only did so to save a school or style. I have never heard of any that did it for any other reason.

If a student was to be double promoted you should all agree with your Grandmaster, master, or Instructors decision. If it serves the style or school then it is never wrong. If from some reason the G.Master, Master, or Instructor double or triple or more promotes it is probably a sign that your Master is playing favorites, which is very unprofessional and very much frowned upon.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Why is it not fair for someone to be double promoted? Rank is supposed to be representative of skill, not necessarily time. It someone posesses the knowledge, skill, and most importantly the attitude to be of a certain rank, then why not let them be? I don't think double promotion should be a normal, every-day occurrence in a dojo/dojang. I think it will naturally happen every once in a while though. There will always be those of exceptional skill. If this skill is coupled with a great work ethic, attitude, and humility, I could find no reason to not promote someone to a rank they deserved. If I had a green belt who worked hard, had a great attitude, and kept humble, and he was ready to be a brown belt, his knowledge level was excellent, he knew all the katas, and could even execute bunkai from the katas, I would test him for brown belt. If he passed he would be a brown belt, if he failed he would stay a green belt. It's an all of nothing thing. It's not like you test a green belt for a brown belt and if they don't make it they're a purple belt. Double promoting is something very risky for the student to attempt. At least the way my dojo does it.

[Freddy]

Ive seen it done 2times in 1.5years first time when I and my cousin graded first time, we skipped 9th kyu and went directly to 8th, this becaus we started some time before all the other begginers and we knew everything well enogh. Second time was when I graded from 7th kyu and skipped 6th and became 5th. I dident even know i was doublegrading i just found out afterwards. I see no reason to why it shouldent be done, unless belts in your organisation are timebased.